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Gin | Chinese fantasy AU Profile picture
@ostenreal
Aug 5, 2022 • 452 tweets • >60 min read • Read on X
Gonna wing this unconventional #kacchako threadfic, so bear w/ me. It's gonna be a long ride lol

--

"Go out with me."

Ochako blinks, unsure what to make of the statement. Cognitively, she's able to process it clearly; she knows what she's being asked.
What doesn't make sense is the person who's asking her.

Katsuki stands before her, both hands shoved deep into his pockets. Strangely, he's not wearing his bravado like a shield, confidence like steel armor. Words usually barbed, these hold no traces of rose thorns.
"I'm sorry?" she asks, gobsmacked. Because this isn't happening. It can't be. Not when Bakugou Katsuki's nuclear temperament had been set off an hour ago by Hanta and Denki’s needling.

Katsuki huffs out an irritated breath, crossing his -
arms across his chest. Even through their school uniform, she can see the way his muscles strain against the blazer.

"I'm sorry as in 'no,' or I'm sorry as in you're telling me to get fucking lost?" He quirks a brow, and there it is, that little bit of arrogance she's used to.
At the same time, she has no clue how in the world he came to that conclusion. "Neither!" she splutters.

"So that's a yes?"

She plants a hand against his chest and shoves him back. "That's a 'give me a second to comprehend.' In Katsuki-speak, it translates to 'give me a -
fucking second.'"

His mouth curls in distaste at her swearing, but mercifully, he shuts up. His presence practically exudes impatience. Understandable, given their shortened lunch period; they've got a guest hero coming in on a tight schedule.

Katsuki's brain:
A part of her wants to excuse herself and go to Recovery Girl to request a hearing check. She'd misheard, right? There's no way Bakugou Katsuki is asking her out here and now.

It's such an unprompted request, and coming from left field, it leaves her reeling from surprise.
"I'm sorry, as in can you repeat yourself?" Ochako requests slowly, as if hearing it a third time will change anything.

Katsuki looks at her like she's stupid. It doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the matter.

"Go. Out. With. Me." He enunciates each word as if he's -
speaking to a child. If she weren't so baffled, she'd entertain the idea of throwing him into the sun. It makes for a funny image bc she's sure she'd be able to hear a slew of curses during his ascension.

In this case, third time is definitely *not* the charm, and she finds -
herself searching for a hidden meaning. A motive hiding behind that stoic, albeit impatient face.

"I'm not following," she admits when she's unable to find one. "Are you asking me out on a date, or do you need me to physically go outside w/ you?"

Ochako:
His next exhale is a billow of exasperation. Jutting a finger at her, he elaborates, "You, me, dinner. Or coffee, or whatever it is people do on dates."

Key word: date.
"Um, I guess?" she accepts, tentative. It's not everyday the class hothead asks someone out, let alone *her*. She didn't even know he could feel anything past ambition or anger.

What a revelation. Truly, one for the history books.
He narrows his eyes in outright indignance. If anything, he even looks half-insulted. "Look, I want a firm yes or no. Fuck that half-assed answer."
"Ok!" she blurts. "I'll go out with you."

Satisfied at her solid confirmation, the tension bleeds from his shoulders. She hadn't even noticed how stiff he'd been holding himself.

Katsuki before: 🧍‍♂️
Katsuki after: 😌
"I'll text you the details," he says, then promptly pivots on his heel and heads toward the classroom, leaving Ochako standing in the hall, still half-dazed and very confused.

Ochako:
It's strange, being in that liminal space between tentative friends and something potentially more. Throughout the rest of the day, her gaze wanders to the back of his head.

"If you stare any harder, he might combust."

Ochako yelps, whirling to find Izuku leaning against -
her desk. He's got one elbow propped on the surface, cheek cupped in one hand.

"Who's staring?" she volleys back. "No one's staring."

Izuku:
She jumps again when a shoulder brushes against hers, and she finds that Tsu has taken her other side.

Luckily, Tsu's voice is softer, but her confusion is prominent. "Did Katsuki do something to you? I've never seen you that focused before."

Ochako, during class:
"I..." She clamps her mouth shut. The thought of going on a date with Katsuki of all people is laughable. While she knows none of her friends would ever poke fun of her predicament, verbalizing it aloud would make the whole thing too real. "There was a bug on his shoulder."
When both of her friends glance up, Ochako hurriedly adds, "It's gone now, but it was there earlier."

Her 'explanation' is too hasty, her distress is too poorly concealed. Neither of them seem to believe her, but Tsu, the angel, herds the conversation toward their homework.
Ochako latches onto the change like it's a lifeline.

Still, her gaze continues to drift to Katsuki, who slouches at his desk, now surrounded by his group of friends. At one point, she accidentally catches Eijirou’s eye, and he winks.
Caught, she resists the urge to dive behind her desk. Either that, or pull Izuku in front of her like a human shield.

Ochako:
Her face flames at the knowing look in Eijirou's eye. It's mischievous, usually directed toward the others in the so-called 'Baku-squad.' But never toward her.

It's too much to handle.
For the rest of break, it takes Olympic-worthy effort to keep her gaze averted. Katsuki, very pointedly, doesn't bother glancing in her direction. It's 1) very confusion, and 2) very frustrating.

Had he asked her out on a whim? Did he even *like* her? That too, is laughable.
Not because she isn't worth anything - she knows she's worth a Pro-Hero education, a scholarship, and so many other wonderful things. But because he's, well, Bakugou Katsuki - "future number one hero."

With a goal like that, who has time to consider dating?
🍓🍓🍓
Anyway, I'm gonna pause here for now. Will either add more later or tomorrow! Here's the top:
If she's being honest, she doesn't really know who to talk to. Mina is out of the question: she's a fantastic friend, but her proclivity toward gossip and excitement don't make her the best confidante.

Izuku is a maybe, but his history with Katsuki may serve as bias.
It doesn't help that he and Shouto are practically joined at the hip, the both of them teetering precariously between friendship and something more. Knowing them, they haven't, nor do they plan to, put a label on their relationship.

But she digresses.
Tenya may go the sensible route and attempt to guide her toward academia and her career. It comes from the good of his heart - she knows this, but it's not exactly what she needs to hear.

That just leaves one other: Tsuyu.
For the rest of the day, Katsuki ignores her. He doesn't go out of his way to avoid her, but it feels jarring, especially when *he* had been the one to ask her out.

It makes that moment feel as if it'd been conjured by a fever dream.

Except, you know, she doesn't have a fever.
His hot and cold attitude confuses her deeply. Matters of the heart don't settle well with someone like her. She needs to vent, to talk it out with someone, and she plans to that with Tsuyu.
Funnily enough, someone else gets there first, catching her on the way to the gym.

"Hey!" Eijirou greets. Again, there's that knowing gleam in his eye. Her guard goes up immediately, but she greets him anyway in a futile attempt at normality.
"Gym?" he asks.

She changes her plans on a whim. "Going on a run, actually."

"What a coincidence, I am too!"

That's how she finds herself jogging alongside her classmates, who is notably, Katsuki's best friend (if the brute considered anyone of them friends).

Eijirou:
Neither of them speak as they run, and Ochako focuses on the rhythm of her pace. One foot in front of the other. Step by step as they travel next to each other.

Beside her, Eijirou brims with energy. She's not quite sure whether it's due to his natural happiness or to the date.
Still, he doesn't bring it up, only pointing toward random things that fascinate him or chatting about the day's lesson. She almost lowers her guard. That is, until they pause for a quick break.

"So, a little birdie told me you're going on a date with Bakugou Katsuki."
"Katsuki told you?" she splutters, incredulous. No way. No fucking way.

1) it's hard to reconcile the fact that Katsuki had confided in *anyone* about their date, and 2) it's even harder for her to connect Katsuki with 'a little birdie.'
Eijirou must be riding the same train of thought bc laughter bursts from him, sharp like firecrackers. "No, he threatened to blow me up if I tried asking again, but a denial on Katsuki’s end is as good as confirmation."
So, what Ochako gleans from this is that Katsuki operates on a separate plane of psychology. Good to know.

Ochako:
Eijirou continues, "It was Denki who brought it up. But you should've seen the look on Katsuki's face. Picture-worthy."

Then, he nudges her, elbow digging into her side. He's sweaty and gross. She's sweaty and gross. It doesn't feel great.
"So, you excited?" he asks, wagging his brows.

How is she supposed to feel any iota of excitement when she herself had accepted the date on a whim? Her lack of enthusiasm must translate to something else bc Eijirou's smile dims a fraction.
"Hey, no need to be nervous-" Interesting, does she *look* nervous? "-Katsuki's a great guy . Has a resting bitch face with a bit of a resting bitch personality, but underneath it all, he's a good person."

"Deep, deep inside," Ochako tries to joke. It works, -
and Eijirou chuckles. The twinkle from before returns to his eye.

"That's the spirit," he crows. "And just be yourself. It can be a bit hard to figure out what he likes, but being genuine has never failed anyone before."

"Yeah, but this is Katsuki we're talking about,"
she says with trepidation, leaning hard into the nervous angle.

Eijirou swipes the back of his hand against his forehead, flinging of droplets of sweat. "My advice? Have some patience when it comes to him. He's...shy? Actually, scrap that. He's...reserved."
Shy? Reserved? Bakugou Katsuki? Who swears like a sailor when frustrated? Who explodes, figuratively and literally, at least once everyday?

Her mouth twists into a doubtful frown.

Ochako:
He nudges her again. "Trust me. He can say a lot, but if you haven't noticed, he also doesn't, especially when it comes to things like feelings and opinions.

"Let me put it this way: Katsuki is reactive. But when given the chance, he not...active, in that sense."
Ochako nods slowly. Now that she thinks about it, she can see it. It makes sense.

Before she can ask him to elaborate, Eijirou cocks his head toward their route in a silent question. Slowly, she relents, and they begin their trek back to the dorms.
By the time they arrive, the sun has slipped into the horizon, filling the sky with bubblegum shades. They're both shiny with sweat and exertion, and Eijirou holds out a fist. When she hesitantly taps it with her own, he sends her a blinding smile.

Them:
"Thanks for accompanying me," he says. His joy is contagious, and unbidden, she feels herself returning his smile.

Something catches Eijirou's eye, and he lights up further, gaze flicking to Ochako in delight. Throwing up an arm, he calls, "Oi! Hey, Katsuki!"
Ochako freezes, rooted to the spot. Behind her, she senses another presence and turns to find Katsuki standing behind her, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

At the sight of them, he quirks his brow but makes no audible note on their messy state.
"Coming from the gym?" Eijirou asks. Even when Katsuki doesn't answer, Eijirou plows on, setting an elbow on Ochako’s shoulder. "Nice, we just got back from a run."

Katsuki eyes the sliver of space between them. "A run," he deadpans, "Just the two of you."
🍓🍓🍓
Break time! In the meantime, here's the top:
"Just the two of us," Eijirou confirms. Ochako isn't able to read the look on Katsuki’s face, but Eijirou is apt to do so. "What, two friends can't go on a run together?"

Katsuki scowls. "Not what I meant." It causes another laugh to burst from Eijirou, as if Katsuki’s -
just told the funniest joke in existence.

Ochako isn't sure what to make of the exchange, but she doesn't intend to find out. More than anything else, she wants to wash the sweat and grime that coat her body like a second skin.

Ochako:
With a wry smile, she peels herself from Eijirou’s hold and pats his arm. Katsuki traces the act, chin jutting in displeasure.

"Right, I'm going to go," she says, pointing toward the wide double doors. Katsuki swings his gaze toward her, and it's nearly intense enough to pin -
her down.

The only reason she's able to pull away is bc the need to be clean overshadows everything else. That, and the sweat is starting to cool unpleasantly.

She mutters a quiet thanks before slipping away. Before the door closes, she catches snippets of their conversation.
" - tell her?" Katsuki hisses beneath his breath, a palm scraping against gravel.

"It's chill! Nothing that'll embarrass you, so it's all good!"

"No, that's not what I meant! Fucking hell - "

Ochako, inwardly:
The door swings shut, leaving her more perplexed than before. Is he - is Katsuki embarrassed? He hadn't sounded like it, but it's also not an emotion she's able to pinpoint.
She wants to dismiss it as none of her business, and before today, she would've! But now that he's gone and asked her out, it feels like it's *become* her business.

Still, she's not going to stay and eavesdrop. She's got other things to do, starting w/ a text to Tsu.
After a long shower, she tilts her head up from toweling her hair to find Tsu already waiting, shoulder propped against the door.

"You said you wanted to talk?"

Ochako bobs her head. The presence of one of her most trusted friends unsticks the dam in her throat.
"Not here," she says, then shepherds her into the room. There, they situate themselves on the floor, cross legged.

Ochako’s hair, still damp, drips steadily against her shoulders. It's getting long - she'll need a trim soon.
Keen, Tsu watches her carefully, studying her face w/ concerned scrutiny. A worried furrow sits between her brows.

"Your text sounded serious," she starts slowly, and that's the great thing about her. She gets straight to the point. "Is everything all right?"
Ochako chews her bottom lip, unsure where to start. "Kind of?"

"Does this have to do w/ Katsuki?"

Ochako blinks, words thick, suddenly spun from wool. Does everyone know? Gossip travels fast at U.A - even the smartest students like a good story, but this is on another level.
"You were staring at him all throughout the day," Tsu explains. "You weren't exactly subtle. I think Present Mic didn't call you out bc he was surprised by your sudden fixation."

So, not gossip. Just Ochako wearing her heart on her sleeve. Normal.
Unable to help herself, she finally blurts, "He asked me out!"

It's a little too loud, and not for the first time, she's thankful not to have a neighbor. But she's still wary of Mina hearing her even from three doors down.
Tsu straightens at the news, blinking rapidly a few times, as if she's processing the information. Somehow, her lack of surprise makes Ochako antsy, and she wrings the hem of her shirt through nervous habit.

"You don't look surprised," Ochako mutters. "Why aren't you surprised?"
The question extracts a reaction from her friend, who purses her lips. "Why should I be?"

"Because he's Katsuki, that's why!" Ochako gesticulates wildly, as if doing so will prove a point, but Tsu remains unmoved. If anything she becomes contemplative.
"I'll admit," Tsu starts, "that I'm surprised it's Katsuki who asked you out. I'm not surprised that you were asked out. They're separate things."

"Well, I'm still pretty shocked by both." Ochako flops back, staring up at the ceiling lights. Tsu shuffles forward to do the same.
Ochako feels Tsu shrug. "I can see being surprised by the first, but why are you shocked by the second?"

"Because...I don't know!" Ochako puffs out a breath and links her fingers over her stomach, feeling each inhale and exhale intimately.
Tsu sighs. "You're a catch, you know. You're smart: despite what you think, you're still attending the best hero school in Japan. You're beautiful, inside and out. And most importantly, you're a good person. If everyone in Class 2A can see it, why can't Katsuki do the same?"
The onslaught of compliments heats the base of her neck. Tsu has always been blunt, she's never been one to spew pretty but baseless words like Aoyama. She's always been succinct, truthful to a fault. To remind Ochako of such characteristics renders her speechless.
"Well, I mean - "

"Shh," Tsu interrupts, and Ochako turns her head to find Tsuyu smiling at her, just the smallest uptick of her mouth. "Don't put yourself down. I wouldn't be a good friend if I let you do that."

Ochako scoffs through the lump in her throat.
"Friend? Give yourself some more credit as my best friend."

A moment of silence, and then they break into a fit of giggles. Warmth blooms in Ochako’s chest; confiding in Tsu had been the right decision.

"Do you know what you're going to do? On your date, I mean."
Ochako shakes her head. Outside of seeing Katsuki after her evening run with Eijirou, she has yet to hear from him. The idea that he might’ve changed his mind dredges up disappointment, annoyance tinged at the edges.

He said he'd text her, but so far, nothing.
"He hasn't told me. But I think it's either going to be coffee or dinner. One of the two, but I really wouldn't be opposed to anything else. Even bubble tea would make me happy."

"A surprise, then? When will it be?"

Ochako shakes her head again. "No clue, he hasn't said -
anything." She pauses, then says quietly, "Maybe he changed his mind."

This time, it's Tsu's turn to shake her head. "If he does, then it's his loss. But I'd wait it out. You never know - he might just surprise you."
🍓🍓🍓
More to come later! Again, top:
When Ochako wakes the next day, she's greeted by a text from the man himself. It lists a coffeeshop near U.A., a date, and a time.

That's it. Not even a good morning. It's brusque, it's succinct, it's very...Katsuki.

It had also been sent at 5:45am.
Ochako is barely cognizant before 9am, so that immediately makes him a human anomaly. What sane high schooler is up before 8am? She can barely fathom it.

Blearily, she rubs her eyes, swiping at the sleep that crusts on her lashes. A thought strikes her, and she frowns, -
rereading the message once more.

The logistics are a tangled jumble in her head. Is she meant to go alone? Are they not going together? They live in the same dorm!

If they're arriving separately, then should she try going earlier? Later? Which would be best?
The thing is, she knows she's overthinking things, but what else can she do? This is her first official date!

Ochako:
There's a newfound livelihood in class that comes from the end of the week. Mina's chatter is slightly faster than normal, Izuku's got a smile as bright as the sun, and Ochako continues to bore holes into the back of Katsuki’s head.
The one time she accidentally makes eye contact with Eijirou, he gives her two thumbs up of support. Denki and Hanta watch them with amusement. Katsuki -

Well, Katsuki just scowls.

Honestly, what is she supposed to feel?
With her attention elsewhere, it's no wonder she misses each lesson completely, preoccupied with untangling the complicated knot that is Katsuki.

He'd asked her out, sent the text as he'd promised, but he's still ignoring her. What gives?

Ochako:
She chalks it to do a dislike of PDA. After all, he rarely, if ever, performs any form of affection for his friends. She'd even go as far a to say that Bakugou Katsuki has no love language.

(It's not a nice thought, but she's a little miffed at the mixed signals.)
At the end of the day, she resolves to ask him for more information about the date tomorrow, but he's out of his seat the moment Aizawa dismisses them. By the time she gets back to the dorms, she's told that he's already gone to the gym by an apologetic Eijirou.
It's normal. All normal. Except, it kind of feels like he's avoiding her.

She knows she shouldn't read too much into things, but that's what it feels like, even with a slew of reasonable explanations excusing his lack of social cohesion.
The upcoming date infiltrates every second of her brain, brimming it with questions and concerns and every possible scenario that can go wrong.

Don't get her wrong! She's excited; it's a date! But it's with Katsuki, so she's not totally sure what to expect.
After talking to Eijirou and Tsu, she'll give him the benefit of doubt. At best, they leave the date with the promise of a second. At worst, they go back to simply being classmates.

If the latter, she's sure a year and a half is enough time to erase a bad date from memory.
With a jumble of thoughts bouncing around her head and the trepidation on going on a date, Ochako spends the night tossing and turning and wondering what it is that doesn't feel...well, perfect. Fairytale-like.
You know, the classic Prince Charming riding atop a white steed, hand outstretched and ready to haul a princess to freedom. Except, she's no princess, and he's many degrees away from embodying 'Prince Charming.'
By the time her alarm blares its horrendous greeting, she feels a little like death-incarnate. Turns out, ruminating over a date that hasn't happened yet will cause irreparable harm to what's meant to be a good night's sleep.
The feeling worsens when she throws own her closet, only to begin fretting over what she's going to wear. Is the skirt too flirty? Should she just play it safe with a casual outfit? What even constitutes as casual when it comes to Katsuki???

Ochako:
In the end, she opts for a sweater, a skirt, and her usual leggings. Unfortunately, the decision also renders her late, and she nearly topples down the stairs in her haste.

When she bursts through the doors, fumbling with her keys, an unexpected voice causes her to shriek.
"The fuck are you rushing for?" Katsuki asks, brow arched in a show of blatant judgment. He's propped against the wall, idly scrolling through his phone. And get this: he's not even sagging.

Her heart lodges in her throat, fluttering madly and heating with embarrassment.
"I'm late," she says dumbly. If anything, his judgment increases. Honestly, why did he have to go and pick such an early time?

"Yeah, for a date with me," he says. With that, he pushes off and slips the phone into his back pocket. Then, he cocks his head toward the steps.
"Ready to go?"

Hefting the bag higher over her shoulder, Ochako steels her nerves, then nods. At that, he doesn't wait, moving before she can get out a word.

Through their walk, she trails after him, staring at his back. He no longer slouches when he walks, a -
far cry from their first year. He's taken to the hero journey like a fish in water, and it's evident in the way he moves: more confident, a little more swagger in each step.

He's also gotten broader. That's a bonus.
So preoccupied, she doesn't notice that he's addressing her until she nearly slams into said back.

"Where's your head, Cheeks?" he asks. "I've called you three times already."

She can't help her response. "Not everyone's up this early on a *Saturday*."
He snorts, and the distance between them lessens a fraction of the way.

"I asked," he emphasizes, "why are you walking so far behind?"

Bc this is Katsuki, she wonders whether he's genuinely asking or verbally prodding her to move faster.
"No reason," she mutters. To her surprise, he slows his gait until their arms are an inch from brushing.

He leans down; it's the closest proximity she's had with him. It's a little overwhelming, and she can't help overthinking -

He flicks her forehead.
🍓🍓🍓
This thread fic is at like 100 tweets. I'm just vibing and winging this fic, it's a good time. Top:
She squawks in indignation, clamping a hand over the spot and jostling her bag. "What was that for?!"

When she glances over, there's a small smile crooking along his face. It's not malicious, nor is it arrogant.

It catches her off-guard.
"You awake now?" he taunts, and she swings her shoulder, letting the bag hit his arm. He bats it away easily, and the air between them lightens a fraction of the way.
He's not the greatest conversation partner, but she knows he's listening to her rambling when he grunts and hums in all the right places.

And because she doesn't know what his interests are, outside of blowing things up, All Might, and his ambitions, she talks about -
anything and everything under the sun. She mentions the bubble tea shop that opened two blocks from campus. She talks about volunteering at a greenhouse once over the summer. She comments on the way English lessens have been increasingly difficult.
He comments once or twice, but it's not the most terrible experience in the world. She finds that alone, Katsuki is like any other person, if not a little more taciturn than others.

Eijirou's advice makes so much more sense now that they're, or well, she's talking.
She's not sure if he's slowed down or if she's sped up, but they're now moving side by side. Their arms occasionally brush, but she's not mad enough to try reaching over. Not when they're just getting comfortable.
Does she even want to hold his hand in the first place? One day.

Who knows?

Right now, she's still hesitant about...everything.
Even as she speaks, she never brings up what she really wants to ask: why had he asked her out in the first place?
Before she knows it, they've reached the coffeeshop, and the smell of roasting beans and baking pastries in the morning sends her hunger into overdrive.

It's surprisingly full of adults, young and old, working or reading. Unsurprisingly, there's a lack of high school students.
She orders a latte as he orders a black coffee and a pastry. As she digs into her bag in search of her wallet, he slips his card across the counter and pays for them both, despite her protests.

After, he gives her a pointed look. "I asked you out. I'm paying."

Katsuki:
She can't argue with that logic, so she steps back, a pout sitting on her lips. It doesn't take long for their orders to come out, and when they do, Katsuki picks up the small tray and leads them toward the back of the shop.

When they sit, he pushes the muffin her way.
"What's this?" she asks.

Again, he gives her that look like she's an idiot. "An obscenely sweet muffin to go with your obscenely sweet drink."

"It's not obscenely sweet!" she protests, defending her sweet tooth. She like sweet things, sue her.

Ochako:
He takes a long sip of his coffee and peers at her from over the rim. "That thing is 80% sugar."

"Better than that bitter concoction you call coffee," she volleys back. A challenge glimmers in his eye, and soon, they're trading verbal blows.
It's not an argument, she categorizes. It's a battle of wits, and he proves to be skilled at it. If he and Shouto didn't have such a tenuous relationship, she wonders who might win a verbal spar.

She'd bet money on Shouto.

(Sorry, Katsuki.)
In the end, she sits back, crossing her arms. All the awkwardness that she'd been fretting overnight has evaporated, and she feels like she's entered a more comfortable territory.

He mirrors her movements. They've entered a stalemate over coffee, of all things.
She heaves a sigh through her nose and cocks her head. "That reminds me, have you eaten?" she asks.

He turns away, fingers wrapped around the base of his coffee, spinning the cup in his palm. "No, I'm not hungry."
"Then I guess you'll have to share this obscenely sweet muffin with me," she says and proceeds to cut it in half.

He gives her an exasperated look. "Didn't I just say that thing is all sugar?"

"You said, 'it's an abomination.'" She pushes the smaller half toward him.
"Your taste in food is an abomination," he mutters but takes the offered half.

Her hunger pangs settle as she picks at the pastry. It's blueberry, it's warm, and she feels surprisingly happy with how everything has gone so far.
Still, there's one question that overwhelms all other thoughts, and it casts a curious shadow over her mood.

Katsuki has finished his other half, and his gaze flicks between her and his coffee.
"Hey - "

"So - "

They pause, both of their sentences cut off. She gestures at him, motioning for him to go first.
"No, you go. Mine isn't that important," Katsuki says, sitting back with a huff. There's a stubborn set to his jaw, and she knows she's not going to win a stubbornness war against Bakugou Katsuki.

Katsuki:
She polishes the last of her half of the muffin, then sits back and pulls the napkin onto her lap.

Katsuki's gaze is hot. Probing. It makes her a little dizzy, and she's not sure whether it's always been like that or if she's hypersensitive now.
"Well?" he prompts.

She puffs out a breath. "If you're so impatient, you can go first." This time, she's the exasperated one.

He tilts his head and narrows his eyes in scrutiny.
"Okay, okay," Ochako starts. She stares at her lap, fidgeting and tearing the edges of the frilly napkin.

Then, she lifts her chin and meets his gaze head-on.

"Why did you ask me out?"
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Thanks for all who are sticking this out w/ me! Top:
"Why not?" he counters immediately. It's such an instinctive answer that it throws her for a bit of a loop.

"That doesn't answer my question," she splutters.
He leans forward, arms still crossed. "Fishing for compliments, Cheeks?"

She pouts, then launches a crumpled piece of napkin at him. It bounces off his shoulder easily. "That's not what I meant, and you know it," she huffs.
"Alright then," he retorts. "I'll turn this around on you. Why shouldn't I have asked you out?"

Trust him to twist a question on its head. While her insecurities *do* exist, it's with the help of friends like Tsu who remind her of her worth.
"I don't see any reason why not," she admits. "But you've never shown an interest in anything...well, more than friends." That last part is said with hesitation. Then, "What changed?"
Others might miss it, but Ochako catches the way his jaw twitches - a sign that he's uncomfortable with her question. The previous attempts were him trying to avoid answering, she realizes.

He's quiet. Pensive.
Then, he shrugs a shoulder, picking up his coffee to take another small sip. "Do I need a reason to want change?"

It's a rhetorical question. Both know the answer: no.
"So," Ochako starts, "you just woke up one day and decided, 'hey, I'm going to open my boundaries and ask Ochako on a date?'"

He scowls. "You make it sound like a bad thing."
"I'm not making it sound like anything. I'm just stating what it sounds like to me. It just feels...so sudden. Very out of the blue."

"You *do* know impulsive acts exist, right?"
She puffs a laugh. "Of course, I do! But you're...so you. You're pretty strict about your regimen, and the only impulsive acts you perform are on the battlefield."

He quirks a brow. "Sounds like you spend lots of time watching me to know that."
Her face practically combusts, but she trudges through. "We've been in the same class for over a year. We live in the same dorm. Anyone could make these observations."

Ochako doesn't mention that she'd gone through a phase where his strength had been a target of her admiration.
He would hold that fact so far over her head, and frankly, she doesn't want to inflate his ego to be bigger than it already is.

Of course, Katsuki continues to wear that infuriating smirk he gets whenever he thinks he's got someone.
"Do you even like me?" she asks, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

His answer is as blunt as a piece of wood. "Of course. Who else would I ask out if not someone I liked?"
Physically, she sits back. Internally, she feels as if she's been picked up and thrown across the city. Even worse, she's pretty sure her alarm is about to blare and wake her from this surreal dream.

No horrible bell chimes in her ears, poking at her to wake up.
"I...oh, I see," she manages weakly, completely thrown off.

Katsuki looks annoyingly calm as he sips his coffee. "Why'd you say yes to this date?"
If she says she likes him too, it'd be a half-truth. Technically, she has no qualms against him - he hasn't done anything to legitimately piss her off. Sure, he can be irritating on bad days, but isn't everyone?

She goes for something tangential to the truth.
"I was curious about you. It's not everyday one of your classmates asks you out, especially someone used to keeping to themselves." She tosses another rolled up piece of napkin onto the table. "Everyone knows you're a private person, Katsuki."
Katsuki opens his mouth to respond, when something catches his eye, and his expression darkens intensely.

At first, she thinks it's a reaction to her answer; it isn't uncommon for her to accidentally stick her foot in her mouth.
Then, she hears the racket and twists in her seat to find Denki and Hanta in line for coffee. They're watching them with glee, and Ochako gets the sinking feeling that their date will spread like wildfire through the dorms.
Mina, especially, will probably be the first at her door, knocking and demanding answers and details with Eijirou in tow. Izuku will barely contain his curiosity, and Shouto will question her taste in romantic partners.
"The fuck are they doing here?" Katsuki mutters viciously. Outside of hero work, she knows he's relatively averse to the public eye, preferring to stay out of the limelight.

The pair step out of line and head in their direction. She's tempted to flee from sight.
"Morning, guys," Denki greets. "Great day for coffee, isn't it?"

Hanta nudges him with an elbow and gives Ochako a greeting nod. "I'm tutoring," he says as an explanation.
Ochako smiles wryly. Across from her, Katsuki pushes himself up and shoves past them, purposefully knocking the two into each other. He pauses by Ochako, then gives her a look.

"I don't know about you, but I'm ready to go."
Stunned, she scrambles after him with an apologetic wave toward the two, who shrug and take their previous seats.

Outside, she catches up to Katsuki, confusion roiling under her skin. "What was that?"
"Dunno what you mean," he mutters. His tone implies the end of the conversation, so she tries another tactic.

"Isn't the dorm in the other direction?" she tries, pointing back.

Katsuki furrows his brows. "Did you *want* our date to end?"
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This is...admittedly much longer than I had planned, but I guess that's what happens when you just wing it. Top:
"No," she says, worrying her bottom lip. The fact that he hasn't booted her from their date is a pleasant achievement. "What else did you have planned?"
He shrugs. "Does it matter? We can just, I don't know, walk around and stuff. Were you expecting a plan, 'cause that's boring."

It's 'boring,' sure, but she'd like to know in advance. If he chooses to go bouldering, then a skirt isn't gonna cut it.
"Then, where are we going?"

"Dunno. We can just explore." He pauses, then peers down at her. "Unless you have something in mind?"
It's Katsuki, so it sounds confrontational. But it's not as aggressive, and there are traces of uncertainty lingering in the question. The words themselves don't hold the same level of abrasiveness.

"No, nothing in mind."
And so, they meander. Get deliberately lost in the city. They're familiar enough to know which areas to avoid, and which are trending.

They find themselves on a strip of small boutiques. Unsurprisingly, being the weekend, it's crowded.
Soon, she finds it difficult to keep up. Katsuki has enough presence for people to instinctively move out of his way, but Ochako has not.

Someone knocks into her, and after a round of profuse apologies from both ends, she finds that Katsuki has disappeared.
He had been right there, and now, he's not? Ochako cranes her neck and rises on her toes in the hopes of finding him among the crowd, but she finds no sign of a spiky blond head or hints of crimson irises.

"Lost?"
She whirls to find an intimidating figure towering over her, wind gusting through the throng of people.

"Inasa!" she remembers. Without his Shiketsu uniform, he's almost unrecognizable, but she would know that powerful stance anywhere.
"Ah! Uravity!" he exclaims, as if suddenly remembering her identity. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Since the license exam," she recalls. "How are you? What are you doing here?"

He juts a thumb at his cape. "I'm on an internship shift. Just doing some rounds and helping -
others. You know the job description." He leans down, then pulls her out of the way as a gaggle of children barrel down the street, laughing up a storm. Giving her a pointed look, he adds, "You seem lost. Did you lose your group? Are you lost?"
She parts her lips, but nothing comes out. For some reason, it's difficult to admit that she's out on a date. With Katsuki. Maybe because it's still such a surreal thought.
Inasa waits, and Ochako flounders. His gaze lifts to snag on someone behind her, the only indication of an approaching figure.

"She's taken, not lost."
She leaps a foot into the air, just as a hand closes loosely around her wrist. Katsuki side-eyes her before sliding his gaze toward Inasa.

"We're good, thanks." With that, he begins to pull her away, a blatant dismissal of the Shiketsu student.
"Thank you, Gale Force!" she calls over her shoulder.

He lifts a large hand. "All the best, Uravity!"

"The hell is he doing here?" Katsuki grumbles. It's meant to be a rhetoric question, but she answers anyway.
"He's on shift. Where did you go?"

"Where did *you* go?" He rounds on her. "I turned around and you were gone."

"It's crowded," she deadpans. As if proving her point, someone accidentally knocks into her shoulder.
Exasperated, Katsuki rolls his eyes and reaches down, wrapping a hand loosely around her wrist and pulls her out of the thick of the crowd.

She half-expects him to let go, but he pulls her closer.
His fingers climb down her arm, and she's not sure if she hallucinates the rapid pulse that throbs at his pulse.

Maybe it's her own pulse; she can feel her heart roaring through her ears.
Without facing her, he curls his fingers around her palm. His hand engulfs her easily. It's a little sweaty, his fingers twitch - he's nervous, she realizes.

She's no better. She's more than nervous, internally screaming with giddiness and uncertainty.
He tugs her down the strip of shops, and she attempts to act normal. Katsuki tries too, which isn't saying much given his taciturn nature.
And soon enough, she stops noticing her hand in his, not in the way where her nerves stop working. But in a way where it begins to feel more natural, like forgetting about an earring dangling from your lobe.
She tugs him toward a flower shop, delighted and giddy at the sight of fresh peonies blooming in the window. It's after she feels him squeeze her hand that she realizes she had dragged him behind her without a warning.
An apology sits at the tip of her tongue, but it shrivels to ash when she realizes that he doesn't seem to mind.

Experimentally, she gives him a returning squeeze, and he meets her gaze.
His face is devoid of emotion, but when she gives him a small smile, she swears that his eyes softens.

It's a side to him she's never seen before, and it catches her off-guard pleasantly.
Now that she thinks back on it, Tsu had been right. Katsuki *has* surprised her at every corner of their date.

He'd always been an admirable classmate and a force to reckon with, but today, he's something more.

He's *Katsuki*, and she's more than eager to discover more.
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Inasa plays no role, I just like him, haha. Top:
She learns a lot during their date.

She learns about the small dimple that dips in his cheek. She learns that he's just as aggressive with a toy crane as any competition he's ever partaken in. She learns that he hates sweets as much as he loves spicy food.
Like a gemstone, there are so many facets that she discovers, and the more she sees, the more polished he becomes, Katsuki's personality revealed under the limelight.

He's so much more than his competitive, stubborn nature.
More than that, she can see *why* he aims to be a hero. Yes, there's ambition. Yes, there's a need to prove people wrong. YES, he's strong.

But something else lies at its base: kindness.
Every hero has the fundamental element of kindness. Ochako, with her financial reasons for attending U.A., wants to help people at the end of the day. Wants to pull people from the rubble and see them embrace their loved ones in a second chance.
Katsuki's kindness shines when they wander to a park. At this point, the caffeine has kicked in, and she's riding on a buoyed high.

Ochako:
Katsuki seems content with listening to her giggle about a time when Tenya had panicked after losing his glasses, only to realize they sat atop his head.

Katsuki even snorts at one point, turning away, but she catches the quirk at the corner of his mouth.
A wail interrupts her mid-sentence, and they turn to find a child sitting under a tree, trying to muffle his crying behind both hands.

She gives Katsuki a look, one that he matches, before they make their way over.
Ochako falls into a crouch, smoothing her expression into a gentle smile. The child scrambles back, but he doesn't run.

"Are you all right?" Ochako asks softly. "Where are your parents?"
Behind her, Katsuki remains standing, but he's gazing around. Searching.

The boy sniffs, grinding the heels of his palms against his eyes. Ochako's gaze flutters down to find his knee scraped.
A cry comes from behind them, and she finds a woman dashing to them in clear panic.

The boy's mother crouches next to them and frets, patting the boy's head and checking for any other injuries, but it's just the scratch on his knee.
Relieved, his mother shushes him, promising bandages, water, and a bag of sweets. Ochako stands, pushing back her hair.

The sight of blood on a child causes her discomfort, and she shrinks back, knowing the mother has things under control.
She's about to turn and leave, when Katsuki brushes forward, falling into a crouch.

"Here." He's gruff when he speaks, a little awkward, a little gravelly. Digging into his pocket, he pulls out a small bandage, handing it to the boy. "Don't waste that."
Ochako cranes her neck over his shoulder, only to find the boy holding a bandaid with All Might's grinning face decorating the strip. Her heart melts like a cherry popsicle in summer heat.
The little act seems to be the dam that stops the boy's crying. Instead, he stares at the bandage in wonder, before turning his watery beam toward Katsuki.

"Thank you," he whispers timidly. Katsuki nods, palming the back of his neck, then turns on his heel.
Ochako can't help it, she knocks her shoulder into his, unable to repress the smile that tugs on her lips. "So," she starts slowly, dragging the word out.

Katsuki, pointedly, doesn't look her way.
"Do you always have All Might bandaids in your pocket?" she asks, mirth nuancing her tone.

"Shut up," he responds, gruff, but there's no venom in his tone.
"It's cute," she says. If anything, he averts his gaze even harder. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

Katsuki, internally:
They dissolve into silence, but it's not an uncomfortable silence. It's friendly, amicable - maybe it's just that Ochako's less tightly wound than she'd been at the beginning of their date.
It's just - Katsuki doesn't seem as untouchable anymore. Unapproachable.

She hums under her breath as they loop around the trail. Though they're no longer holding hands, their arms do, as do their knuckles.
"I always carry them," Katsuki suddenly says. "Force of habit."

"Habit?"

"I...ran around a lot. As a kid. I still do. My old hag always stocks up on them."
The thought of a little Katsuki dashing outside with an All Might figure and a cape flying behind him is so endearing, she has to remember not to coo in case he *does* blow up.
"I see," she says instead, fighting the urge to tease. This time, its her turn to avert her eyes. Now, she feels Katsuki's gaze boring into her profile. Still, she can't help the little puff she releases.

"What?" he snaps, exasperated.
"I'm sorry - " she giggles. "But that's just...so unbelievably cute. A little hard to imagine Dynamight having All Might bandaids on hand at all times."

He stomps off, and still chuckling, Ochako runs after him. When she catches up, she catches his hand.
"It's not a bad thing," she says softly, eyes crinkling. "It really isn't."

He sighs, then slips his fingers between hers. "I know, I know," he grumbles. "But tell anyone, and you won't live to see tomorrow."

"I promise," she says, swinging their hands. "I promise."
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ANYWAY, one of my headcanons is that Katsuki carries around All Might bandaids, being the fanboy he is. I'll be back Friday! In the meantime, top:
"Sooooo, I heard from a little birdie that you went on a date." Mina slides onto Ochako's desk the moment Aizawa dismisses them for lunch.

Mina:
Ochako blinks, caught off-guard by the sudden presence. From behind Mina, Izuku, Shouto, and Tenya have also paused, curiously watching Mina as she siddles up to their friend.
"Dunno what you're talking about," Ochako mumbles, sliding down her seat. If she's fast enough, she can probably slip from her seat and make a run for it.

As if expecting it, Mina's leg shoots out, shoe hitting the back of Ochako’s chair, effectively blocking her escape.
"Ah ah," Mina tuts, wagging a finger. "Not until I get all the details, buddy."

"It's lunch time, so I think - " Izuku tries, but it's to no avail. Not if it's Mina.
Instead, Mina tuts in mock disappointment. "Come on. Aren't we friends?" Then, in real disappointment, "I didn't think I'd have to hear it from Hanta and Denki, of all people."

Of course. The disastrous duo. Ochako resists slamming her head into the table.
She should've known. Mina’s not the only one with a proclivity for gossip. It gets even worse when the subject concerns a specific classmate.

She wonders whether Katsuki has suffered a similar harassment for information.
If she knows Hanta and Denki, then yeah, they've probably already cornered Katsuki. Or at least plan to.

Ochako slumps back. "Yeah, I went on a date," she relents. Mina suddenly brightens at the acquiescence.
"And how was it? Who asked who? I already know, but still! I wanna hear it from you!!" Mina sits primly, back straight and studious.

It's a far cry from her usual half-asleep state, especially during Aizawa's academic lessons.
From behind, Izuku gives Ochako a pointed look that reads, 'let me know if you need help, and I'll intervene.' When she nods in understanding, he turns and nudges Shouto back. Tenya gives her a look before following.

This leaves her to Mina's mercy.
"Ah, I mean, there's not much to tell," she says meekly. In truth, there's a lot to tell, but they're all things she wants to hoard to herself. Especially the bandaids. That's something she wants to keep between herself and Katsuki.

Mina shoots her a disbelieving look.
She leans forward, arching a brow and shaking her head. "No way. No way that you went on a date with Mr. Number One Hero and nothing happened."

With a sigh, she hops off the table and cocks her hip.
"I'm not asking for the nitty-gritty details - " she pauses thoughtfully. "Ok, maybe I am, but come on, you gotta give me something!"

Ochako frowns and take the opportunity to get up. Mina tails her as she heads for the cafeteria.
"Like what?" Ochako squeezes through the throng of students.

"I dunno! Was it awkward? Was it fun? Was it weird?" Mina gasps dramatically. "Was it horrible? It was horrible, wasn't it?"
Her theatrics draw the attention of the closest students, and Ochako ducks her head, internally wailing about her friend’s unstoppable volume.

"Mina!" she whisper-shouts. "Could you...tone it down a bit?"
Mina leans in. "If I do," she whispers, "will you tell me?"

Ochako rounds on her, stopping her in her tracks. "Only if you don't tell anyone else. Otherwise, you're getting nothing."
Mina mimes zipping her lips, eyes brightening eagerly.

Ochako puffs out a breath and rubs at her eyes. "It was...nice, okay? He was nice."
Delighted, Mina squeals, clutching her hands to her chest. "Kat? Nice? I knew it! I knew he'd be sweet on someone he liked!"

To her horror, Ochako feels her blush burning at the base of her neck.
"Did you guys hold hands? Or is that too far with him? O-m-g, did you guys, I don't know, hug? Or, OR, did you guys kiss? With tongue????"

Each subsequent question makes Ochako want to perish on the spot, and she speeds up, not bothering to hide her intent to escape.
Except, Mina doesn't get the memo and follows on her heels excitedly. "You promised more detail!!"

Finally, Ochako twists on her heel and slams a hand over her mouth. "Mina, please!" she begs. "I'm not trying to tell the whole school."
Mina acts the pantomime again. "Ok, ok!"

Ochako shifts uncomfortably. "We didn't hug, or anything. We definitely didn't kiss."

Not that she wouldn't mind it, but Mina doesn't need to know that.
Then, her friend gasps, eyes going wide. She hops on the spot, jabbing a finger in Ochako's direction. "You didn't say anything about hand holding!! You guys definitely held hands!!"
It feels like no matter where they go, they attract attention, and Ochako begins to wilt in exasperation. "Yes, yes. We held hands, alright? It was a nice date, he wasn’t an asshole, and we had a good time."
"Oh, I'm so happy for you!" Mina squeals. "That's so exciting!! Eijirou and I knew you two would be good together - "

"You've talked about this with Eijirou??"
Mina ignores that, then grabs onto her hand, pulling her close. "Now," she whispers, actually whispers, "let me ask: would you go out with him again?"
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Top:
"I -" Ochako pauses, then blinks at a startling realization. Her answer would've been instantaneous. Without hesitation.

It surprises her how easily the answer sits at the tip of her tongue.
Mina watches her, expectant.

Ochako's growing silence only seems to dampen Mina's intolerable glee. It's brief, barely a flash, but doubt flickers across her face.
"So..."

Right. Ochako snaps out of it and shakes her head. "Yeah," she answers. "I would. I would love to - "

Mina pumps a fist into the air. "I knew it!" she shrieks.
"But!" Ochako interrupts her spontaneous celebration. "It's not just a me thing, you know?

Her friend pauses, then lowers her hand. Cocking both fists on her hips, Mina tilts her head. "Explain."
"I would lov--like to go out with him again, but I don't know if *he'd* want to again. You know?" Ochako tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. "Dating is a mutual thing. I'm willing, but I don't know that he is."
"Has he asked?" Mina asks. Ochako shakes her head. Then, more pointedly, Mina adds, "have *you*?"

Ochako's face flares with heat, and whatever expression she's wearing must give her away.
"I knew it," Mina declares. "Look - " her tone softens a fraction, but there's still a good amount of confidence that fills her words. "If you liked it, let him know! Send him a text! Ask if he's willing to do it again!"
"But - " Ochako’s cut off when a finger presses against her mouth, effectively shutting her up.

"Ah ah ah, no buts," Mina tuts. "You never know until you try! At best, he says yes. At worst, he says no. And the worst isn't even worse than what we've faced before."
Yet, it is. It's *worse* bc Ochako can handle a gash on her arm or a cracked rib. But matters of the heart? No, thank you.

She's strong-willed, sure, but this somehow feels different. Too...vulnerable.
"I really doubt he'd say no," Mina scoffs. Without a warning, she reaches into Ochako’s blazer and pulls out her phone. "Let's give it a shot!"

"Mina!" This time, it's Ochako’s turn to shriek, and she lurches forward. Her friend cackles before taking off.
Ochako follows, and luckily, going on evening runs actually comes to fruition when she manages to catch up, grabbing at Mina's wrist.

A familiar face rounds the corner, and Ochako gasps, yanking Mina into the supply closet.
"Don't say anything!" Ochako pleads as they hide from Katsuki.

Mina snorts but relents. A chorus of voices follow, goading and teasing. The two peer through the crack of the door.
Katsuki’s expression is dark. Much, much darker than normal, and it comes as no surprise to find Denki and Hanta following him.

"Come on! Just tell us! How was the date? We won't tell anyone!"
Katsuki isn't even trudging away. He's stomping, vein throbbing at his temple. There's a scowl curling at his mouth, but Hanta and Denki, unable to see his expression from behind, continue to poke the proverbial bear.
"God, why are they so nosy?" Mina mutters, and Ochako sends her a disbelieving look.

"Fuck off!" Katsuki snarls. A sweet smell, like burnt caramel, begins to waft through the air, a telltale sign that he's exuding nitroglycerin.
Unfortunately, neither takes the hint.

"Oh, come on! You can't expect us to find you on the date and *not* ask you questions," Denki sniffs.
It's...an eerily similar conversation to what she had been having with Mina.

If anything, Katsuki’s scowl deepens, and he looks to be on the verge of exploding. Which is *very* possible, given Denki and Hanta's needling.
"Did you hug her? Kiss her?" Denki asks. "Come on, if you kissed her, we owe you like 500 yen."

Ochako freezes. Mina freezes. 500...yen?
"We were kidding when we bet you'd go on a date," Hanta says, unaware of the way Ochako's world turns on its axis.

Bet?
Katsuki whirls on his feet, grabbing onto their shirts. "Shut. The fuck. Up."

Hanta, undeterred, continues fueling the fire, "You didn't have to! I can't believe you took it so seriously, but you looked like you were having fun!"
"Yeah, I was surprised you asked Ochako though. I said, 'bet you couldn't get a date with the prettiest girl in school.' She's cute and all, but I guess it all depends, huh," Denki adds.
Ochako can't breathe. She can't. There's a growing heat prickling behind her eyes.

Mina whirls to her, eyes wide. "Oh, oh no, Ochako." She reaches for her hands, but Ochako steps back out of reach.

Outside, the conversation goes on, followed by a phone notification.
"Okok, well, congrats on going on the date. I just sent you the money."

There's no response, followed by scrabbling as Denki calls, "hold up! Wait for us, man!"
Silence.

"Ochako," Mina tries. She's lost all signs of her giddiness. "I swear, I didn't know. I didn't know he'd - "

"Stop." Ochako shakes her head, voice trembling. A bet...a bet, of all things.

She's heard enough.
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I'm sorry!!!! This was where the story was gonna go in the first place. She didn't know, so you wouldn't have known either 😭

Top:
She's tempted to skip class. Who knew nurturing a wound to her pride could bring her to the brink of tears?

She goes anyway, and it's evident that she should've gone back to the dorms and hole herself in her room.
Not only does the sight of Katsuki rub salt in the wound, but she has to deal with Mina's pitying look and her other friends' confusion at her sudden turn in mood.

Tsu, especially. After all, she'd been the first person Ochako had told about their date.
The moment Aizawa dismisses class, she's out of her seat, slinging her bag over her shoulder and ignoring the way Izuku waves at her and the way Mina calls her name.

It isn't until she's halfway back that she feels a hand on her arm, and she turns to find Tsu holding her.
"What?" Her voice is rough, and Tsu does a double-take at her appearance.

"Ochako..." She trails off, something careful in the way she utters her name. "Are you all right?"
Ochako averts her gaze, staring resolutely at the wall behind Tsu's shoulder, refusing to make eye-contact, lest she gives herself away. Tsu's always been keen with her observations, and Ochako doesn't want to be /seen/, not today.

"I'm fine."

"You're crying."
And with that, she realizes that she is. Her chest hurts, and it's worse than that one time she had nearly cracked a rib during training.

With a physical injury, someone could tell her how long it would take to heal, what she could do to alleviate the pain.
This is different.

With this, no one can tell her how to stop hurting. No one can tie a splint to her heart. No one can sew the gaping wound together.

It hurts and hurts and hurts.
The statement is the sledgehammer that breaks the dam, and Ochako collapses, face falling into her hands as she bursts into tears.

Her words are barely coherent, but Tsu surges forward, pulling her into a hug. She doesn't ask for an explanation, nor does she pry.
Instead, she shushes her gently and guides her toward the dorms. Blindly, Ochako follows, vision blurred and eyes puffy as she gasps for air.

She doesn't know if anyone sees the mess she's become. And honestly, she doesn't care.
Tsu doesn't stop until they've reached her room, where she pulls Ochako in and pulls her to the floor. Still, she doesn't push. She lets Ochako cry things out, rubbing small circles into her back and handing her handfuls of tissues.
It isn't until Ochako finally gets a hold of herself, feeling as if she's cried every tear into existence, that Tsu speaks, "Do you feel better?"

Ochako sniffs loudly, nose stuffed, utterly miserable. "No," she manages. The memory of the encounter is fresh on her mind.
"You were right," she says, and Tsu tilts her head in confusion. "Katsuki surprised me. Did you know that he'd asked me out on a bet?"

Tsu's sharp intake indicates that she hadn't known. She hands a few more tissues over when more tears leak from the corners of Ochako's eyes.
She can't seem to stop crying, and she takes them gratefully. "I heard him, you know. Him, Hanta, and Denki. He needed to ask someone out on a date."

"I'm so sorry." Tsu's sincerity brings about a new wave of misery. "I'm so sorry that happened to you."
Just as Ochako begins to respond, the door bursts open, and Mina dives into the room with an armful of food and a box of tissues.

"I knew you were in here! I knocked on your door, but you didn't answer. I brought snacks - I know they won't do much, but we all eat our feelings,
right?" Mina says, kicking the door shut behind her. She drops everything to the ground, and Ochako is tickled to realize that they're all her favorites.

Mina shoves a strawberry milk carton and a fruit sandwich toward her. "Here. Take this."
Mina screws her face in thought, then adds, "I don't...I didn't think Kat would do something so shitty. No one wants to be on the other end of a bet - it's just..." She cards a hand through her hair. "God, it's just so shitty."
When Ochako doesn't move, Mina reaches over and helps her puncture a hole into the carton, then shoves it into her hands. "What do you plan to do now?"

"You don't have to do anything if you don't want to," Tsu adds, and Mina nods furiously to emphasize her point.
Ochako shrugs. "Wallow, I guess. I just want time to think for a bit. I think...I might avoid him for a bit. Him, Denki, and Hanta. Dunno."

The other two nod in understanding. People always preach facing their feelings head-on, but Ochako doesn't have the mental fortitude
at the moment. All she wants is to hide in her room and ruminate. Already, having Tsu and Mina around makes her feel slightly better.

"What do you plan to do about Katsuki?" Mina asks carefully. Tsu shoots her a look that Mina brushes off.
Ochako bites back a flinch. She feels like a fool to have thought he had genuinely liked her enough to ask her out. It makes more sense why she'd felt that things had been slightly off when he'd asked in the first place.

It was too spontaneous. Too...out of the blue.
And then to have Hanta and Denki show up at the coffee shop claiming to study. That should've been a red flag in itself. Except, she'd been too distracted at the notion of being *on* a date with Katsuki.
Slowly, she'd warmed up to him, to everything, only to find out that it'd all been a sham. He may as well have spat in her face.

A thought crosses her mind. Barely a flutter, but it's enough for her to raise her head and sip the strawberry milk.
It's masochistic. It might hurt her more in the long run, but she wants to do this. The more she thinks about it, the more the idea solidifies.

Tsu and Mina notice the change immediately, and they gaze at each other in concern.
Ochako gives them a small, bitter smile, pulls out her phone, and says, "Actually, I changed my mind about Katsuki. I'm going to ask /him/ out."
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My updates will be a little slower. It's the start of the semester, so I'm busier than normal. Top:
It takes her a week to reorient herself. After all, emotions aren't as forgiving as physical wounds.

She sends her text the next day, not expecting an answer or even a rejection, since she suspects he doesn't actually like her in that way.
So it comes as somewhat of a surprise when he responds half an hour later, accepting their date.

She glances at the text and smiles wryly. The bet must still be going on.
Still, none of it prepares her for the way the wound on her heart splits open at the sight of him waiting at the doors, waiting for her arrival.

"What took you so long?" he grunts. So long? She's ten minutes early. He must've been waiting for longer.
"I was grabbing a few things," she answers, lifting her shoulder to show her bag. He accepts the explanation easily.

This time, she leads as they leave the school gates. He hadn't given her any details for their first 'date' - it's fair that she doesn't have to either.
Along the way, she jerks when he sighs and reaches over, grabbing onto her hand. Then, continues by slotting his fingers between hers. All of this without looking at her.

Her heart does a strange leap. It's traitorous in that it thumps in excitement,
but there's a bitter undertone to it as well, knowing this isn't *real* to him.

"What's got you down?" he suddenly asks, gaze flicking toward her. It doesn't move away, pinning her the spot.
Ochako huffs and shakes her head. "Nothing. Just tired. I stayed up late trying to figure out Present Mic's homework. Learning English is exhausting."

It's only a partial lie. Yes, she had attempted to work. No, it didn't take all night.
Instead, she stayed up, tossing and turning as she gnawed on her bottom lip, thinking about the situation. About how the today would go.

If he can tell she's lying through her teeth, he doesn't say anything, merely clasps her hand tighter between them.
"If you need help, just ask. Shit can get hard sometimes."

She doubts she'll take his offer in the near future, and she bites back the teasing remark that rises to her head.
This isn't real, she reminds herself. None of this is real.

When they reach the bubble tea shop, she tries to compensate the tension by sending him an overly bright smile. He gives her a strange look but goes with it anyway.
To her surprise, before she can point toward the menu and gush at how they have a whole menu for strawberry items, he pulls them to the side.

Their hands remain linked as he palms the back of his neck, not meeting her gaze.
"Look, if you're tired, we can come another time. It's not a big deal."

The words punch a hole in her gut. They sound genuine; he sounds concerned in the rough way only Katsuki can manage.
Before she loses her nerve, she steps forward, lifts herself onto her toes, cradles his face, and kisses his cheek.

(One.)

Katsuki freezes under her, immobile even after she pulls away. Her heart thunders in her ears.
"That's sweet," she says, "but I've been craving a strawberry lychee bubble tea since Monday."

He seems dazed when she tugs him gently into the line. The back of his neck is flushed red, and she internally sighs as she unlocks their fingers.
The act snaps him from the moment, but she slides her arms around his waist and plasters to his side. Immediately, he wraps an arm around her shoulder almost tentatively.

Together, they remain in their embrace as she points toward the menu and comments on their popular items.
(Two.)

This time, she has her card ready, and she pays for their drinks. She doesn't want to owe him anything after today.

He grumbles under his breath even after picking up their drinks, and she leads them toward a row of small shops, not unlike the one he'd taken her to.
There, they peruse the windows. She acts like things are okay, that with each word, her ribcage isn't splitting wide open to reveal the depths of her pain.

It's not real. It's not, but the truth of the matter is that her feelings are real. And it hurts.
Her plan is masochistic, but she'd put some thought into it. An object in motion stays in motion, and she has already dropped the pebble off the mountain. All it needs to do is catch, and the entire system will collapse.
He doesn't question her new closeness, not even when she pulls him into an embrace and slips his arm around her waist with the excuse that they won't lose each other in a thickening crowd.

He takes it, appearing content to keep it there even when there's enough space
for him to return to simply holding hands.

(Three.)

Ochako allows herself to enjoy these small things. In any other circumstance, she'd swoon into his arms - she wouldn't have been bold enough to instigate either.
At one point, when the noise of the crowd swells, she pulls at his shoulder, and he tilts his head down. After commenting on the ridiculousness of the window display, she takes advantage of the moment to press a feather-gentle kiss against the high of his cheek.
(Four.)

She misses the way his mouth wobbles in their reflection, the way he bites back a smile.

He returns to holding her hand when she drags him to rest near a fountain, watching water spray high into the sky.
When they sit, she pulls her hand away, stretching both over her head and tilting her chin back. A sigh billows from between her lips, and the moment slides by before she lowers them again.

"I told you, we could've gone back after the boba," Katsuki grouses.
"We could've," she agrees. "But then you wouldn't have gotten paid more."

He freezes. "What?"

"I know about it." She doesn't look at him. She can't. "I know about the bet."
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It's mid-Autumn festival tomorrow! I also wish I knew how many words this has so far 'cause I'm winging it, mannn.

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He gapes at her, mouth parting as if to refute, but nothing comes out. No refutation.

Her jaw tightens, and she glares down, hands clenched into fists.

"The bet," Katsuki repeats hoarsely. It's not an inquiry, nor is it a denial.
"I kept count," Ochako continues. She's not in the mood to listen to a half-assed excuse. "We hugged twice. I kissed you twice. We even held hands most of the 'date.'"

His gaze burns against her profile. Still, he says nothing.
"That should be worth a good amount of money. And who knows? Maybe you'll get double the amount for snagging a second date."

This time, she isn't able to hide the bitterness from seeping into her tone. Her glare moves to the ground as she adds, "Maybe more, since I asked."
There's an audible click as Katsuki snaps his jaw shut. Ochako’s words are scathing, not unlike submerging one's hand in boiling water.

The air between them has thickened with each word, bleeding after being struck with barb after barb.
The rose that had blossomed in her chest had finally grown thorns. Ochako bites her tongue, breathes a sigh, and shuts her eyes. Her breathing stutters, and she hates how exposed she feels, even if she's the one confronting *him*.
To her horror, she feels that telltale heat stinging the back of her eyes. Hastily, she stands, adjusting her bag just to have something to do with her hands.

Katsuki has yet to say anything. The longer his silence lingers, the more it aches.
"I don't like being played," she says quietly. Right now, there's a wretched calm blanketing her. The calm before a tempest. Still, glassy waters that will ravage and maim when given the opportunity.
"And you know what? You're right. I *am* tired. I'm gonna head back first. I hope you earned enough today. I don't think I can give you any more."

She smooths down her skirt with a bitter smile. Without looking back at him, she says, "See you in class."
He doesn't move to stop her.

At that, one part of her experiences relief because she doesn't think she'd be able to handle any further revelations. Any more and she'd probably either burst into tears or send him flying into the sun.
The other, less rational part of her, wants him to stop her - wants him to leap from his seat, rush toward her, and splutter out that it wasn't true, that there was a perfectly reasonable explanation to the conversation she had overheard.
Except, she knows that's not going to happen. He's Bakugou Katsuki, and no matter the circumstances, he wouldn't gaslight her like that.

So much faith in him, she thinks acidly, even after he hurt you.
She doesn't look back as she leaves, doesn't think about the way she feels almost bereft without him. In the time between their first date and her leaving, she had quickly gotten used to the warm weight of his fingers lacing between hers.
She misses the heat of his body pressed against her side as they squeezed through tight crowds and large throngs of people.

Only two 'dates' and he had successfully reduced her to a mess.
It doesn't take her long to reach the dorms. The moment she slips through the doors, she bumps into a firm chest and stumbles. Hands flutter about, steadying her.

She almost doesn't want to look up, not in the mood to interact with others.
Mina and Eijirou pull her upright. Judging by the way Eijirou schools his features from thunderous to pitiful, she knows, without a doubt, that Mina told him everything.

"Sorry," she mutters, tugging away to return to her room.
A hand around her arm gently tugs her to a stop.

"Mina told me," Eijirou starts, then swallows heavily. Guilt weighs on his tone. "I didn't know about it...I didn't think he'd agree to something like that."
"He really didn't know," Mina hastily confirms. "Neither of us expected him to do something like that."

Ochako doesn't respond. Eijirou doesn't let go.

"When we spoke on our run," Eijirou continues, "I didn't know then either. He really is a great guy, so this..."
This drags a sigh out of her. "Great guys don't take girls on dates because of a bet," she finally says. Her words are throaty, raw from repressing a swamp of emotions, thick and cloying. "Can you let go? I'm tired, and I'd really like to go to bed."
"Right, sorry!" Eijirou jerks back as if he's been electrocuted. She can feel their stares against her back, and it isn't until she enters the stairwell that they begin whispering furiously - too rushed, too quiet for Ochako to make out anything substantial.
Though, it's not like she has the mental fortitude to do so anyway. Utterly miserable, she climbs each step to her room, letting the rhythmic thump of her footfalls scramble the thoughts in her head.
When she collapses in her room, falling back to face the ceiling, the resounding silence leaves her to the mercy of her thoughts.

Yes, her plan had been masochistic. Give him more and humiliate him in the end, all at the expense of her feelings.
Yes, she likes him, likes the side of him she'd never really seen before. She mourns the loss of potential, the loss of respect she'd held for him, and the loss of friendship.

Yes, she feels abject misery at being tricked and used. After all, who wants to be on the other
end of a bet? Who wants their feelings to become casualties due to someone else's inflated ego?

She throws her arm over her face, blocking out the light. What else can she do outside of wallowing and throwing herself a single pity party?
No, she's better than that - she's going to become a hero. But heroes are human. They face the same emotional hurdles as anyone else, and this happens to be one of hers.

So, she hurts, feels each sting fully with the resolution that she'll be a stronger person tomorrow.
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I'm almost done with this mini fic!

Top:
She ignores him, deliberately avoids looking at him in class. No matter how drawn she is to him, she doesn't succumb to the urge.

Not even when she can feel the weight of his gaze settling against her back.
Without looking at him, she can't get a feel for the *way* he's looking at her. Is his gaze imploring? Criticizing? Apologetic? Or worse - mocking?

She thought she'd known his character. She'd been wrong.
It comes as a surprise when Izuku cries out at the sight of Katsuki’s face. "Kacchan! Are you alright?"

No, no, no. Ochako will not look.

"Fuck off" is Katsuki’s default answer, but there's something sitting under that gruff tone.
A hint of weariness one wouldn't hear unless listening closely.

"It's not a broken bone," Shouto observes. "Recovery Girl can heal a black eye within a minute."

A black eye? The temptation is strong, but she remains rooted to her spot.
Tsuyu pats her arm in consolation. At another snap from Katsuki, Izuku backs off, pulling Shouto along with him. If Ochako catches snippets of their conversation, that's for her to know alone.

"Did he get into a fight?" Izuku whispers.
"Who knows," Shouto deadpans, uninterested. "But I'm impressed someone was able to leave a black eye like that on him."

"Training?"

"Unlikely."
A figure plops down on Ochako’s other side. Mina unwraps her sandwich and pushes a pastry toward Ochako.

Tsuyu leans forward to address their friend. "So, what happened?"

"Well, Eijirou's pissed. We both are," Mina says, then takes a bite.
Her next words are muffled by the food bulging in her cheek. "I called Kat out on it, and Eijirou threw the punch. Used a bit of his quirk to make more of an impact, if you know what I mean."

The retaliation doesn't do much to abate her misery, but she's touched by the concern.
"Wild thing is that he didn't even try to block out," Mina continues. "No defense - nothing. I think Eijirou was close to throwing another - heck, I was gonna throw one myself, but it wouldn't have done anything, ya know?"
Mina pauses, then levels Ochako with a contemplative stare. "Unless, you *want* us to beat him up? We're still willing. Promise."

Ochako shakes her head. "Just leave it. I don't want this blowing up more than it already has."
The way Mina accepts this is reluctant, and Ochako forces her to verbally agree that she won't throw acid on Katsuki during hero training under the guise of an accident.
Whatever injury marks Katsuki’s face is large enough and dark enough to be noticeable. Even Present Mic falters at the sight of the injury before rattling off his lesson.
Injuries aren't uncommon. But lingering injuries that can easily be healed by Recovery Girl are uncommon. No one willingly wants a reminder of failure.
Thoughts so preoccupied staying /off/ of Katsuki, Ochako nearly misses Present Mic's question.

"Where's Kaminari and Sero?"

Unless someone's sick, it's even *more* uncommon to miss a class, especially one geared toward hero training and not academics.
Quiet mumurs of "I don't know" and shrugs answer his inquiry. Ochako hadn't noticed that two of her classmates were missing from lecture. And now that she looks, she realizes that yes, they're short two troublemakers.
The thought of their bet with Katsuki brings another wave of bitterness settling on her tongue.

Still, no one answers, and Present Mic sighs. "Right, well, you're all responsible for your education. You're not first years anymore."
The lesson proceeds without a hitch, one that explores a passive form of rescue: prevention.

Despite knowing it's a recipe for disaster, she remains distracted, going through the motions in a hypnotic-state, driven by instinct alone.
It isn't until she hears a warning shout from Izuku that she realizes a steel beam is headed in her direction. Even activating her quirk won't prevent injury, but if she can minimize the impact, then she might sustain something smaller.
A force hits her from the opposite direction, and she registers the explosion before she's swept into the air, too quick to have been the result of her quirk. The wind screams in her ear at the speed she moves, and the sun is blocked by a sharp silhouette.
The bumps and ridges of a familiar pattern press against her back and thighs, and Katsuki soars over the beam with ease.

They're on the ground within seconds, yet time feels distorted as he sets her on the ground with uncharacteristic gentleness.
She half-expected him to drop her the same way one discards trash. It would be fitting, considering bets are done with objects and not *people*.

"Thanks," she mutters, and that's supposed to be the end of it. That much, she can give him before ignoring him.
Instead, he grabs her arm, twisting it to expose the small gash along her arm, gained after an earlier stunt. She hadn't even realized she'd gotten hurt in the first place.
"Pay more attention," he spits. "We're not in a classroom." When she tilts her head up to retort, her words die on her tongue as she finally notices that yes, his eye is half-swollen shut and bruised from the force of Eijirou's punch.
His nose twitches at her scrutiny, and she blinks as he pulls away to reach into his pocket to pull out an All Might bandaid. She's frozen as he fumbles with it, fingers obscured by his gloves.
When he leans in close to stick it on, she nearly misses his next words, almost inaudible with the way her ears ring after his rescue stunt.

"I'm sorry."
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Gonna take a break, but I should have another update later. I want to finish this threadfic. It's longer than I expected it to be 😩
Before she can utter a word, he's already retreating, easily leaping over the steal beam. Her vision is obscured by Shouto, who lands in front of her. Behind her, Izuku drops from the sky, panic-stricken.
"Are you ok?!" he frets, gesticulating wildly. "That was an accident - that wasn't meant to fall." He looks utterly distraught as Shouto pulls at her limbs, searching for any signs of injury.
When Shouto gets to the small All Might bandaid, he pauses, confused, before turning over his shoulder, bicolored gaze probing through the chaos and dust.

Soon enough, she's surrounded by those who'd been close enough to see the near-accident.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," she reassures her friends and classmates, all of them fraught with concern. Even Present Mic seems to be sweating bullets, relieved that nothing pressing had happened to her.
Even w/ the assurance that she's fine, he still sends her to Recovery Girl to get checked up. Shouto gets assigned to go with her, though he doesn't seem to mind it one bit,
They walk in silence, both of their footsteps echoing down the empty corridor.

"You know I'm fine, right?" she tries, to no avail. Shouto, while one of her friends, is also diligent when it comes to his friends' well-being.
As they turn the corner to Recovery Girl's office, she's surprised to find a tall figure already waiting. Katsuki straightens at their appearance, and displeasure flickers across his expression at the sight of Shouto accompanying her.
The air thickens with tension, and Ochako steps between them, as if a physical obstruction will defuse the bad atmosphere.

She turns to Shouto and smiles wryly at him. "I can take over from here."
His expression doesn't shift, though there's a minute shift between his brows. "I'm supposed to make sure - "

"She said she's fine," Katsuki interrupts, impatient.
Ochako whirls on him. "And that doesn't include you!" Beyond annoyed, she ignores the both of them and marches into Recovery Girl's office.

Two of the beds are already occupied, but it doesn't matter, not when Recovery Girl takes one glance at her and confirms that she's fine.
She chuckles at the All Might bandaid before dismissing her from the office. Embarrassed, Ochako steps into the hall to find it already occupied.

Katsuki still hasn't left, his one good eye snapping to her.
Unfortunately, she's still not exactly in the forgiving mood and pivots on her heel. By now, classes have been dismissed, and she can return to the dorms and hole up in her room.

She makes it three steps before he speaks. "Chee--Ochako," he amends. "Can we talk?"
"I'm tired." She doesn't look at him as she speaks. True to her words, she feels the exhaustion pull at her bones, weighing her body down. "And there's nothing to talk about. I already thanked you for saving me."
His gear shuffles as he moves, accompanied by the heavy set of his boots. "Can you let me explain? I'll tell you everything. Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you."
He's close enough that she feels the tail ends of his words flutter against the disarray of her hair. Her thoughts flash through a montage of their dates, both good and painful.

"Tomorrow," she sighs. "I want to shower, and I really am tired."
He doesn't say another word as she leaves, letting her go and respecting her request.

Ochako pushes through the throng of students that congregate in the halls after class. None of them are perturbed by the sight of her singed clothing.
At a school for heroes, it's a common sight, especially from someone who's coming from the direction of Recovery Girl's office.

On the way back to the dorms, she doesn't encounter anyone who stops her, and for that, she's grateful.
Avoiding someone is tiring, she learned, especially when she's forced to spend a chunk of her day in the same room as him. If Katsuki had been from another school, it would've been easy to block his number and never see his face again.
Since that's not the case, the second best thing she can settle for is getting some form of closure. If he's willing to explain himself, she'll listen and judge. If he gaslights her, she's going to throw him into the sky and use Eijirou's quirk to beat the crap out of him.
For now, she cleans up and flops onto her bed, not in the mood to deal with her schoolwork. Tonight, she wants to build her mental fortitude.

Yes, she's strong - she's trained her body to be strong.
As for her heart, that's a different story. It hasn't had the same amount of training exposure as her other muscles, so she needs to prepare herself for the oncoming conversation.
Is she ready to listen to Katsuki explain how he doesn't actually feel anything for her outside of apathy? That those dates had meant nothing to him?
Is she ready for the possibility that they may leave the conversation as strangers, their tentative relationship hanging by a gossamer thread?
As of now, the answer to both of her main questions is 'no.' She is, in no way, prepared for the onslaught of emotions that will plague her.

Tomorrow. She'll get all of her answers tomorrow. For now, all she can do is sleep and hope for the best.
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I'm not gonna lie: I'm really curious about the word count. But anyway, I'm *hoping* to finish tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then soon.

I'm gonna go read poems by Robert Frost while listening to folk music. Goodnight!
Tomorrow comes too soon for comfort. During Aizawa's lessons, Ochako only gives her teacher half of her attention. The other half is attached to her classmate.

Katsuki's back is tense, the muscles in his arms taut. There's a tick to his jaw, and his shoulders are rigid.
She's not watching him that closely, not at all. Rather, it's comforting to know that he seems just as nervous as her to have their talk, given that he isn't wearing his usual slouch.
The thing is, she knows they're meeting today to talk. As to what time and where, she's less clear on the specifics.

During the breaks between lessons, she keeps him in her periphery, ready to move if he so much as approaches her.
Except, he doesn't. He stays rooted to his seat, tapping the back of his pencil against his desk, eyes trained on the clock above the whiteboard.

Normally flocked by his friends, it's strange to see him alone.
Hanta and Denki still haven't shown up to class, and Eijirou is bent on giving him the cold shoulder. Mina, too. Instead of flouncing up to him with their usual sunshine, they join her, Tsuyu, Izuku, and Shouto.
To their group, they seem normal, but Ochako can sense the apologetic air they send her with fleeting glances and the minute way they hesitate before touching her.
Really, she doesn't know which is worse: her apprehension or their pity. Tsuyu is the only one not to treat her like porcelain - she continues to engage in her own way, asking quiet questions, listening attentively, and being a good friend.
It isn't until the lunch bell rings that something happens. Ochako, resigned to the fact that Katsuki will probably seek her out after class, stands from her seat, intending to meet Izuku and Shouto in the cafeteria. Tsuyu is already packed and waiting at the front of the room.
"Ready?" Tsuyu asks, and Ochako nods. "Did you understand the logistics of Aizawa's lessons? I still don't really get why he brought up the history of how - "
Tsuyu pauses as Ochako nearly slams into another person. Barely catching herself, she tilts her head up to find that Katsuki has stepped into the doorway.

His shoulders are hunched, having reverted back to their usual slouch.
They stare at each other, Ochako dumbfounded that this is happening much earlier than she'd expected. Katsuki seems agitated, rubbing the nape of his neck.

"Are you free to talk right now?" For once, there isn't a harsh quality to his tone.
Instead, he reflects the resignation that she'd been feeling all day.

Ochako turns to give Tsuyu a look, who shrugs as if to say 'it's your choice.'

For a moment, she debates delaying the inevitable, just for a few more hours.
Then, she finds herself nodding, hefting her bag higher on her shoulder and swallowing the knot in her throat. "Yeah, we can talk now."

Throwing an apologetic look toward Tsuyu, who dismisses it with a flick of her wrist and an encouraging smile, Ochako follows Katsuki out.
She stays half a step behind him, head lowered as she allows him to lead them away from the crowd of students heading toward the cafeteria.

He's quiet, both hands stuffed in his pockets.
The silence, once comfortably woven between them, has been fractured. Each jagged piece pokes and prods under her skin, and she has to tamp down the urge to turn around and flee.
He takes her to a set of stairs, and they go climb. Up and up, and she realizes he's taking her to the rooftop, a common place for confessions and serious conversations.

Something in her hurts - she's not sure whether it's her ego or what's to come.
Soon enough, sunlight filters onto the landing, and the wind billows past her in a relieved sigh.

They step onto the roof, where there are no other students. Not yet, at least.
He picks a corner, and she leans back, smoothing down her skirt as he sets both arms against the railing. A complicated set of emotions flits across his expression.

The moment slides by them, thick, as if made from cotton.
If he doesn't say anything, then she has better things to do, even if she's lost her appetite to the nerves roiling in her stomach.

Just as she's about to excuse herself, he straightens and turns to face her with a sigh.
With his gaze boring into hers, he speaks, "I'm sorry."

The bitter taste on her tongue returns. "So you said yesterday." She takes a deep breath. "Look, if you just wanted to say sorry - "
"No," he interrupts. "That's...I didn't know how else to start, but I need you to know that I'm sorry. What I did was beyond shitty."

"Then why do it in the first place?" She whirls on her feet, crossing her arms. That same anger bubbles in her chest, ready to burst.
Katsuki falters, jaw working as he chews on his words. "I think...I should start at the beginning."

He rakes a hand through his hair, shoulders falling as if bearing the weight of the world. Or, in this case, his deception.
"I think that'd be a good place to start," Ochako says, hefting her chin. If she's going to learn the truth, she's going to do so with her head held high.

Katsuki leans back, supported by the railing, and watches her carefully.
"Whatever you hear, just...please don't interrupt. Can you wait until I finish?" he asks.

Ochako tilts her head. "I really don't think you're in the position to be *asking* me to do anything."
At that, he nods, a flicker of shame feathering across his disposition. "That's fair," he mumbles. "It's a little embarrassing on my part, but it's what I deserve for agreeing to it anyway."
Embarrassing? To him?

Has he forgotten the way he humiliated her?

As if sensing her rage, he begins to explain.
"I don't know how it came up in the first place. The two idiots were just...there, and I mean, they were talking about their usual bullshit. About which girl is prettiest in each grade."

Interestingly, the tips of his ears begin to redden.
"They were goading each other too, arguing about who was prettiest in our year. Denki obviously said Kyouka, and Hanta was arguing for Momo, or something like that.

"I can't remember the full scope of their conversation. I don't really want to.
"But Hanta had said something about how he didn't think Denki could ask Kyouka out, and the fucking idiot panicked and dragged me into it.

"He said he had as much of a chance with her as I did with the prettiest girl in our school."
Something begins to dawn on Ochako, and unbidden, her cheeks begin to redden. By now, the blush that'd started at the tip of Katsuki's ears had bled over his jaw and down the line of his neck.

Prettiest girl.
Katsuki averts his gaze, dragging it to the sprawling city.

"Hanta was being Hanta, and he said he bet I couldn't get a date with the prettiest girl in school.
"He never specified who it had to be, and I..." he trails off. By now, his face is completely red. It's not a flattering shade, and she's sure he'd rather throw himself off the building than continue.
"You just picked any girl?" she supplies, turning away. "And I just happened to be the unlucky one?"

"No!" The force of his denial startles her. "Fuck, no. I - "

His breathing stutters. "They never said who it had to be, and I..."
This time, he lifts his gaze, holding it against hers. "I asked out the prettiest girl in school."

She nearly collapses at the admission. "You...asked me out? Me."
Katsuki drops his face into his hands and groans, loud and singular. It does nothing to hide the furious, ruddy color of his cheeks.

"Look, I - fucking hell!"
"Then," she starts, struggling to come to terms with this conversation. It's taken a 180 from what she'd expected. "Then what about the monetary value?"

His sigh is amplified by the way his cups his face, and his arms drop to hang limply at his side.
"I never agreed to that part," he says. "They just did that themselves. It was 100 yen for hugs, 500 yen for kisses, and 2000 yen for if I'd, y'know, really kissed you."

Seeing the look on her face, he steps forward, quick to elaborate.
"They agreed to it themselves. I didn't want any part of that, and I didn't think they'd actually take it seriously."

"But, but I heard them send you the money," Ochako splutters. "Did you get something for asking me out in the first place?!"
"Denki said he'd send 2000 yen. He and Hanta *did* send me money, but you have to know, I didn't take it. I didn't want any monetary value attached to asking you out."

"Then why agree to it in the first place? Ego? What - you couldn't turn down a competition?"
"No!" Desperation, exasperation, and a multitude of emotions cross his face within seconds. An impressive feat, really.

"That's where the stupid part comes in," he murmurs.
If possible, he continues to redden. Any more, and she's sure steam will burst from his ears. With his quirk, it wouldn't be far outside the realm of possibility.
"I had already planned to ask you out anyway," he admits. "Even before the bet. I was planning to do it soon, but then this happened, and it turned into a mess."

"You...what?" Ochako gasped, caught completely off-guard.
"I liked you! I *like* you now, even more so after our dates," he confesses. "The stupid part of it all is that I just used this as an excuse to actually act on it.
"I thought, 'two birds, one stone.' If I asked you out, I wouldn't have to listen to Denki moon over Kyouka for another year, and I'd get to go on a date with you.

"I wanted to tell you - really, I did. But when we were out...I didn't want to ruin anything.
"I kept forgetting it was a bet because I was with *you*. And on our second date, when you said you knew...it was like a splash of cold reality.

"I knew I'd fucked up. Shitty Hai--Eijirou knew how much I'd liked you too.
"I deserved the punch he threw at me. Hell, I deserved a lot more than what he gave me."

Ochako thinks back to the enthusiasm Eijirou had shown on their run. He had been so confident that she and Katsuki would work out.
As his closest friend, he had *known* how Katsuki felt. The disappointment at finding out the whole thing was a bet must've been crushing.

Miserable, Katsuki gestures loosely at her. "Yeah, that's the same face he had on when I told him too."
"Then," she starts. "What about Hanta and Denki? Did you do something to them?"

Katsuki's mouth curls. "After you left on our second date, I was hurt. Regretful. More than that, I was *pissed*. At them, and at me.
"They found me outside of the dorms, started asking me about what had been done and how much they owed me, and I lost it."

At her horrified expression, he shakes his head quickly. "I didn't fuck them up that badly. They have a few burns and bruises.
"But it's nothing Recovery GIrl can't fix within a few days. They'll be fine, but I have punishment after classes end today. Eijirou and Mina found me afterwards.

"Mina ripped me a new one. She called me out on how stupid I was. All of this after Eijirou had punched me."
He gestures at his black eye. Even on the second day, it remains swollen and bruised.

"I deserve a whole lot more than this after what I put you through. I only really thought about me. About how *I'd* feel on the date.
"I didn't think about your pride, your ego. I didn't think about how you would feel after finding out. I'm not going to lie: I'd debated on staying quiet, so we could keep going out.

"But I knew that was wrong. And you found out before I could tell you."
Ochako takes a shaky breath, turning away. "I'll admit, I was surprised when you first asked me out - kind of suspicious because it came out of nowhere. I wondered, 'why is Bakugou Katsuki asking me out? Why now?'
"But then I had a lot of fun on our first date, and I thought, 'I could really like him. I can see myself liking him a lot. You were more than I anticipated. Sweeter, nicer - all in your own special way.

"Then, I found out it was a bet. And it crushed me."
Her voice wavers, stone lodging in her throat. "I respected you a lot as a future hero. And I liked you as my classmate and as a...friend. On our date, I liked a lot: I liked how you were caring and attentive, I liked how you were thoughtful - "
She gives a watery snort at the memory. "I liked that you carried around All Might bandaids."

At that, he huffs in surprise. Then, her face falls as she continues, "Then, I found out the whole thing was a bet, and I thought, 'Was it all a sham?'
"It shook the foundation of what I felt for you, as a person. I didn't think you'd be the type of person to play with someone's feelings for the sake of preserving your ego. So yes, it was an *extremely* shitty thing for you to do."
Taking a deep breath, she smooths down her skirt again to keep her hands from shaking. "Did you mean everything you said and did on the date? Even at the beginning?"

He shakes his head fervently before she finishes her question.
"Everything that happened on our dates was real. I *wanted* to hold your hand. I *wanted* to buy you coffee. I *wanted* to spend time with *you* and get to know you.

"I'd liked you since our first year, since the Sports Festival, and I wanted to know more.
"It was just a terrible way to execute that."

Absentmindedly, Ochako scratches the back of her neck, accidentally stretching the small gash she'd sustained from yesterday, and flinches.
Katsuki zeroes in on the act, then digs through his bag before pulling out a small box. On cover sits All Might's grinning face.

It's a box of All Might bandaids.

He holds it out for her, and after a hesitant heartbeat, she reaches out to take it.
"I brought this for you," he says. As he pulls back, he takes a step away. "I wasn't sure if my quirk had hurt you in any way."

She doesn't mention that if anything, his quirk would've given her second-degree burns that would've needed more than bandaids.
"It's...also cause you seemed like you liked it. My old hag brings me some every week - " He realizes he's rambling and snaps his jaw shut before casting his gaze away.

"Anyway, I...get it if you don't want to talk to me again. I wouldn't blame you, if that's what you want.
"But that's what I wanted to tell you. That's the whole story. Again, I'm just...I'm really sorry for playing you like that. I should've thought it through before asking you out in the first place."
He remains rooted to the spot, unsure what to do. Now, instead of flushing from embarrassment, he radiates shame and guilt.

Ochako turns the box over in her hands, finding his scratchy handwriting on the corner of the box: 'I'm sorry.'
"You said..." she starts, then pauses. "You were going to ask me out anyway."

Katsuki, who'd been rubbing at the back of his neck, pauses. He lifts his head to watch her. Incredulity, rising hope - both spark in his gaze, though his face remains impassive, waiting.
She struggles to put her thoughts together. "And it was a shitty move, no doubt. But...I wouldn't be against starting over."

He opens his mouth, but she cuts him off. "Don't get me wrong. I'm still furious.
"My pride hurts, and I want to beat the crap out of you in a sparring match. I want time, but...I wouldn't be against going out with you again. But this time, with no strings attached. No bet, no one else involved in what we do."
He nods mutely, but there's a hint of a smile pulling at his mouth. Even with a black eye, his gaze is still focused on her.

Ochako clears her throat. "When does your punishment end? After classes, I mean?"
"Two weeks," Katsuki answers. "Aizawa is making me clean the classrooms after hero training."

"Then - " It's her turn to rub the nape of her neck in embarrassment. "Would you like to go for coffee in two week's time?"
He cocks his head. "Sure, if you want a caramel latte, but we can also go for strawberry lychee bubble tea instead, if you want."

She can't help the smile that pulls across her mouth. He'd remembered her orders.
Puffing out a breath, she gives him a nod, not bothering to hide the smile from him. "All right then. Two weeks from now. And Denki and Hanta aren't invited, or I swear, I'll throw you into the sun."
"I wouldn't expect anything less," Katuski says. His disposition softens. "I'll see you then."

"It's a date."

/end
🍓🍓🍓
AHH, ok, I FINISHED. What a LONG RIDE (literally much longer than I'd planned)

Thank you guys for staying with this story for as long as you did! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
And really! Winging this was hARD - so thank you for sticking along and putting up with my first long threadfic haha!!

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